A push by workers in a St. Louis cannabis facility to form a union could have national ramifications on labor law, with the company hoping to block their effort by asking the federal government to intervene. At issue is a group of "post-harvest workers" at BeLeaf Medical's Sinse cultivation facility in St. Louis. They have been trying to form a union since September but have thus far been blocked by their employer's continuous legal challenges.
The company argues the employees at its Sinse facility don't have the right to unionize because they're considered agricultural workers. Agricultural workers aren't protected under the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, which ensures employees have the right to unionize without fear of retaliation.
Twice so far this year, National Labor Relations Board Regional Director Andrea Wilkes – who oversees a swath of six states in the Midwest — has ruled against BeLeaf's argument. Last week, BeLeaf filed a request for the national five-member board appointed by the president to review Wilkes' decisions.
Legal experts, union officials, and industry insiders interviewed by The Independent agree that whichever way the NLRB ultimately rules would have sweeping ramifications for the burgeoning industry across the nation.
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